Canyon
de Chelly, Arizona

Located roughly in the
center of the Navajo Reservation, Canyon de Chelly extends from the montane
highlands of the Defiance Plateau and Chuska Mountains in the east to the arid
expanse of the Chinle Valley far to the west. Known for its spectacular canyon
vistas, prehistoric ruins, and green ribbon of Navajo agricultural fields, the
canyon includes an abundance of physical landforms and ecological communities
that provide a diverse mosaic for human settlement.

Within this setting, the
canyon's prehistoric inhabitants experimented with a variety of subsistence
techniques, architectural forms, and community design, the result being a long
tradition of settlement continuity tempered by periodic change.

Decidedly different from
their prehistoric antecedents, the later Navajo occupants blended strategies of
a hunting/gathering society with those of agriculture and pastoralism to create
an alternative landscape reflecting unique ecological and organizational
relationships. This landscape has continued to evolve throughout the last
century and, despite being established as a national monument in 1931, remains
a viable, living community composed of numerous Navajo families. In short,
Canyon de Chelly represents a material record of one of the most enduring and
complex cultural landscapes of the American Southwest, a record which changes
with each passing day.

Over the past four
years, a portion of the above landscape, Canyon del Muerto, has been
intensively examined by the Canyon de Chelly Archeological Preservation
Project. Guided by concepts of landscape archeology, and designed to document
both character and preservational condition of archeological remains, this
project has expanded upon earlier investigations of prehistoric and historic
settlement by clarifying the relationships between architectural form,
settlement type, and community design, in effect, not only identifying the
building blocks of the cultural landscape, but also examining how they are put
together.

This summer the project
will continue to investigate the more remote portions of Canyon del Muerto and
begin the process of piecing together a comprehensive preservation plan that
will help to guide park resource management for years to come.

Reprinted from the "Canyon Overlook Guide, 1995 - A visitor's guide
to Canyon de Chelly National Monument"